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Reisch’s criminal justice reform bill progresses in the House

Reisch

By Tess VrbinColumbia Daily Tribune

Posted: Apr. 8, 2019 7:27 pm Updated: Apr. 8, 2019 7:52 pm

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Legislature’s push for criminal justice reform includes a bill that would change the laws regarding felons and other convicted criminals working for businesses that sell lottery tickets and alcohol.

If the bill becomes law, the state would not be able to prohibit felons from selling alcohol “solely on the basis of being found guilty” of a felony. The state would also be unable to prohibit anyone convicted of a crime from selling lottery tickets.

Current law states that employers who sell alcohol must notify the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control of any employees with felony convictions, and the bill would repeal this part of the law.

State Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch, R-Hallsville, is sponsoring the legislation for the second year in a row. Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia and now Senate Majority Leader, filed the same bill in the Senate last year. The bill made it through the committee and hearing process but did not come up for a floor vote.

This year, the bill has passed three House committees unanimously, most recently the Fiscal Review Committee on Monday.

Reisch has made jobs a top priority in her public service career, and this bill would “get government out of the way” of felons searching for employment after their release from prison, she said.

“Once they serve their debts to society and get back out into their communities, we need them to have jobs and not barriers,” she said.

Boone County has a 1.5 percent unemployment rate and not enough workers, Reisch said.

The bill also gives employers and businesses the freedom to choose whether or not to hire a felon instead of state law making that decision for them, she said.

Felons still would not be allowed to hold a liquor license or a lottery license, Reisch said.

An omnibus criminal justice reform bill, sponsored by state Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, includes the provisions of Reisch’s bill. The omnibus bill was introduced in March, has been read twice on the House floor and referred to a committee.

Reisch’s bill also would allow inmates’ Medicaid benefits to be suspended when they enter prison and resumed when they are released, so they will not have to spend months re-applying for Medicaid. Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, added this provision to the bill in an amendment.

Rep. Nick Schroer, R-O’Fallon, added an amendment to limit access to certain information in a felon’s criminal history, if the person served a maximum sentence of five years and has been out of prison for more than five years.

Both amendments were added during perfection on the House floor last week.

The Missouri Catholic Conference and the Missouri Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association both support the bill.

MPCA Executive Director Ron Leone worked with Reisch on the language of the bill.

“We want to make sure it provides opportunities and second chances for people that deserve it, but we also want to make sure the employer does not have any additional liability or responsibility,” Leone said. “We think that the current bill accomplishes all of those goals.”

It also provides a bigger job applicant pool for MPCA members, he said.

The bill aligns with the Catholic philosophy of restorative justice because it welcomes inmates back into their communities and creates opportunities for them to earn a living, said Rita Linhardt, a lobbyist with the Missouri Catholic Conference.

“The governor is really focused on workforce development, and here’s a whole pool of people that can be ready to work, so we should do everything in our power to give them that opportunity,” Linhardt said.

During session on Monday, the House sent the bill back to the Rules Administrative Oversight Committee for another vote. Reisch expects the committee to pass it and send it back to the House floor for a third reading and vote within a week, she said.

She is confident that the bill will pass the House and Senate and become law either on its own or as part of the omnibus bill, she said.